The present invention relates to a contact preventive apparatus for vehicles, having an automatic steering device for performing steering to prevent a vehicle from coming in contact with an obstacle and an automatic braking device for automatically braking wheels when forecasting contact depending on a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle and a relative speed.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 5668/1964 has disclosed an automatic braking device for vehicles in which a distance between a vehicle and a forward obstacle and a relative speed are continuously detected by an optical method, ultrasonic waves or the like, it is decided whether contact may occur depending on the distance and relative speed thus detected, and an actuator is operated to automatically brake wheels so that contact can be prevented when it is decided that there is a possibility of contact.
However, in a changing environment such as if a friction coefficient of a road changes during automatic braking so that conditions vary, the automatic braking device described above cannot correspond to variation in condition.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 231609/1990 has disclosed an automatic steering device. Similarly, in a changing environment such as if a friction coefficient of a road changes during automatic steering so that conditions vary, the automatic steering device cannot correspond to variation in condition.